Samsung bringing out patch unblock to Windows Updates

(Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Files)

Samsung received some flack last week for silently changing the way their computers and tablets download Windows updates. And after some negotiations with Microsoft, the Korean company promises to soon reverse this with a patch coming in the next few days.

Reverse-engineering and crash-debugging expert Patrick Barker brought everyone's attention to the fact that Samsung has implemented some changes on the default settings of how bug fixes and security patches are delivered to Microsoft Windows users. According to his blog, through Samsung's Software Update, the setting had been changed from automatic download to one that requires users to manually check for updates and choose which updates are to be downloaded. This, as Microsoft explains, places the user at a higher security risk.

Samsung, in a statement reported by BBC, admitted to the change but explains why they implemented it in the first place, "As part of our commitment to consumer satisfaction, we are providing our users with the option to choose if and when they want to update the Windows software on their products." But Windows Update, being at the core of the features of Microsoft's operating system, is a setting that is not recommended to either be disabled or modified; hence pushing Microsoft to get in touch with Samsung "to address the issue".

After the said talks, Samsung sent out another statement last Friday promising to reverse the current setting. The statement says that a patch reversing the manual download of updates and patches through Windows Update will be released through Samsung's Software Update notification "within a few days", emphasizing that the company is committed to both security and its partnership with Microsoft.

With Windows 10 rolling out in a few weeks for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, Windows Updates will become more important than ever to users as it will be the first time the service will be used for a major upgrade.

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